This blog covers issues and my experience in Theravada Buddhism's Vipassana and Samatha meditations and mind development toward Sotāpanna, Sakadagami, Anagami, and Arahant. Those developed minds can access the utmost serene state called Nibbana or Nirvana.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Happiest man in the World

It is said in Buddhist scriptures that a Sotāpanna is among the happiest men in the World. He is happier than a King of Kings, happier than an Emperor.
An Emperor who ruled many ancient cities or kingdoms feared nobody, yet he feared death, and life after death. A Sotāpanna does not fear death, because he sees that life is impermanence and there is no such thing as selfness. It is just an illusion cooked up by the mind. And he is not afraid of whatever will happen in life after death either since he knows that his mind current is well-trained and a future reincarnation would no doubt be much better than this current life.

It is said that a Sotāpanna eliminated 90% of mental stress from his head. You can see from his face how happy he is. Money or wealth, fame, means little to him. As a just 1st level Ariya (developed person), he still adheres to many things in the Worldly live. Yet he would not break the 5 rules of Buddhist precept. He would also obey rules of his society, and rule of law, so that he does not offend other people's feeling. He also starts to be more careful of this interaction with other people. He is kind to other people and does not want people to offend him (verbally or physically) since an offense to a developed person is extremely un-meritful. An offending person would face serious consequences due to bad Karma.